Abstract
Background: DMFTI in 12 year old Iranian children has been worse since 1969 to 1993. Objective: To determine the application of Health Belief Model in oral health education for 12 year old children. Methods: In an experimental, case-control group and a multistage cluster sampling research, a descriptive study was applied about individual perceptions, oral behaviors, O.H.I and DMFTI. An educational planning was based on the results and Health Belief Model was applied. The procedure was repeated after six months. Findings: The results indicated a low correlation between the reduction of DMFTI to increased perceived severity and increased perceived barriers (r=-0.28, r=-0.43 respectively). Also, there is a limited correlation between O.H.I and increased perceived benefits (r=-0.26). Correct brushing and flossing are influenced by increased perceptions. Conclusion: Using health belief model in oral health education is applicable and a proper educational model based on the perceptions has been proposed.
Keywords
Health belief model (H.B.M) Oral hygiene index (O.H.I) Decayed missing and filled teeth index (DMFTI)
Copyright
© 2024, Journal of Inflammatory Diseases. This open-access article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0) International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which allows for the copying and redistribution of the material only for noncommercial purposes, provided that the original work is properly cited.